Gauging device



Nov. 26, 1957 H. s. BANKS GAUGING DEVICE Filed Oct. 9, 195a mmvroi United States P ate-n t GAUGING DEVICE Harold G. Banks, Dayton, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Sheflield Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application October 9, 1953, Serial No. 385,111

4 Claims. (Cl. 33170) This invention relates to a gauging apparatus particularly adapted for the support of work engaging devices used in dimension measurements or comparisons.

Surface plate gauging apparatuses generally embody a carrier for a work engaging device and a base and upright on which the carrier is adjustable. These apparatuses are used in conjunction with a surface plate upon which the article to be gauged is placed. Apparatuses of this type must be rugged in construction with inherent accuracy and must be readily and precisely adjustable for various gauge setups. In the past they have been complicated and expensive in construction and have not had thefiexibility and reliability which are desired.

It isaecordingly the primary object of this invention to provide a gauging apparatus which is rugged and simple in construction but which is readily and accurately adjustable for various gauging applications.

It is a further object to provide such an apparatus wherein clamp means are provided for fixing the apparatus components in adjusted positions, the clamp means being arranged so as not to disturb the adjusted relationships upon their clamping movement.

It is a further object to provide such an apparatus wherein a carrier has a passage through which a member extends for relative sliding, the carrier including resilient means engaging the member at one side thereof and clamping means for engaging the member at the same side as does the resilient means whereby the clamping action of the clamping means does not disturb the resiliently established relationships between the carrier and member.

It is a further object to provide such an apparatus wherein a carrying arm for a work engaging .device is adjustable'by fine adjustment means relative to .a carrier which has provisions for clamping the arm relative to the carrier in its finely adjusted position and wherein the carrier itself can be adjusted by frictional sliding along a vertical column extending upwardly from a base for coarse positioningand clamp means is provided for fixing the carrier relative to the column in its coarsely adjusted position.

It is a further object to provide an apparatus as referred to in the object next above wherein the fine adjustment means includes rotatable means and resiliently urged means holding the carrier in its adjusted positions along the supporting column also serve to urge a projection into a longitudinal groove in the gauging device carrying arm to prevent its rotation upon movements of the fine adjustment means.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side view of an apparatus embodying the features of the present invention, shown supporting a work engagingdevice.

Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus,

. figure 3 'isa sectional view online 3-3 of Figure '1,

too

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view along line 4--4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 isa top .view of the exemplary gauging apparatus, and

Figure-6 is a sectional viewon line 6--'6 of Figure 1.

The gauging apparatus of this .invention comprises -a few basic components of simple configuration. A base is provided for mounting on surface plates in gauging operations and a column extends vertically thereabove. A carrier which supports an arm adapted for carrying a work engaging device is slidable along the column. The carrier carries resiliently biased means contacting the column to maintain it in its slidably adjusted positions along the column. The carrier also carries means for adjusting the vertical position of the work engaging device carrying arm relative to the carrier. The resiliently biased means which contact the column and further resiliently biased means which contact the arm serve to establish and hold'the positional relationships between the gauging apparatus components. Clamping means are also provided and these clamping means engage the column and the arm at the same sides as do the resiliently biased contact means. Because of this the clamping means upon their clamping engagement do not disturb previously established relationships between the gauging apparatus components. The apparatus base is made of a fairly massive unitary member for stability and has a configuration adapting it to be readily lifted or smoothly slid along the surface plate.

An exemplary gauging apparatus is disclosed for the purposes of illustrating the features of this invention and, as shown in Figure 1, comprises three major components, a base 10, a column 11 carried vertically from the base 10, and a carrier 12, which is slidably mounted for movement to coarse vertical positions along the column 11.

It will be seen that the carrier 12 has two parallel passages along its length. It is carried for sliding movement to course vertical positions along the column 11 which passes through one of these passages. A carrying arm 18 for a work engaging device is carried for vertical sliding movement relative to the carrier 12 along the other passage for fine adjustments by rotatable fine adjustment means as will be later described. The carrying arm 18 at its lower end carries a clamping means 20 of conventional design for fixing the work engaging device to'the arm 14.

The apparatus is shown as supporting a work engaging device 14 comprising a fluid leakage orifice 15 which is controlled by an opposing orifice controlling surface 16 positioned in accordance with work dimensions by a pivotally carried work contactor 17. The flow through the orifice as determined by work dimensions is indicated on a flow measuring instrument, not shown. This device is only intended as an example of the many such devices which this apparatus will serve to support.

The friction structure for holding the carrier 12 in its coarsely adjusted positions along the column 11 is illustrated more clearly in the sectional views of Figures 3 and 4. It will be noted that the column 11 has a simple circular cross-section which is cheaply and rapidly manufactured. A transverse passage 22 communicates between the two parallel passages in the carrier 12. A cup-like contact member 24 is carried for sliding in this transverse passage 22 and contains a spring 25 which cooperates between the contact 24 and a contact plunger 26 urging them apart. At one end of the contact 24 there is a projection 27 which slides in a longitudinal groove in the arm 18 during its fine adjustments to prevent it from rotating. The contact 26 is urged against the column 11 and holds the carrier 12 in its slidably adjusted position.

Manually adjustable clamping means are provided to fix the carrier 12 in its slidably adjusted positions along l;

the column 11 and this clamping means is shown in more detail in Figure 6. Two wedge shaped clamping sleeves 30 and 31 are carried for sliding in a transverse passage 32in the carrier 12 and both engage the column at substantially the same side thereof. They. are drawn together for clamping by a knurled screw member 34.

The fine adjustment means for the carrying arm 18 is shownin Figure l. The vertically extending portion of the arm 18 has a finely threaded portion as indicated at 38. A knurled nut member 40 is threaded about this threaded portion 38 and is fitted in a slot 41 against axial movement relative to the carrier 12. It will be seen that upon rotation of the knurled nut member 40 the arm 18 will be vertically positioned relative to the carrier 12 through the cooperation of its threaded portion and the nut 40.

A clamping means similar to that provided for clamping the carrier 12 to the column 11 is provided for clamping the arm 18 in its finely adjusted positions relative to the carrier. A knurled screw member 35 serves to draw two clamping sleeves 36 and 37 together against the arm 18 at a common side thereof for this purpose.

Both clamping means are releasable to allow the coarse and fine adjustments to be made but in order to prevent the disturbance of these adjustments they can be clamped to fix the carrier in its coarsely positioned adjustments along the column 11 and the arm 18 in its finely adjusted position relative to the carrier 12.

It will be noted that the resiliently urged contacts 26 and 27 engage the column 11 and the arm 18 at same sides as do the clamping means. While the column 11 and arm 18 fit closely within the carrier passages they have an operating clearance for sliding. The interaction between the resiliently urged apparatus components is such as to maintain the carrier 12 in contact with the right-hand side of the column 11, as viewed in Figure 3, and the arm 18 and carrier in contact at the left-hand side of the arm as seen in that figure. These contact surfaces are each of a substantial length which is greater than the diametral dimensions of the relatively slidable members which they serve to position. These cantact surfaces determined the adjusted relationships between the column 11, the carrier 12 and arm 18 and the resiliently urged contacts maintain these relationships. The clamping means in their clamping action will serve to tighten the apparatus components against these same contact surfaces because they engage the column and arm respectively at the same sides as do the contacts. Thus their clamping action does not disturb previously adjusted relationships between the components.

The base is formed of an integral solid member having considerable weight which adds to the stability of the apparatus. This base 10 has a peripheral lower supporting surface (see Figure 2) which can be readily finished to flatness. Grooves are provided along the base having widths and depths so as to be conveniently grasped by an operators thumb and fingers. Because of this configuration the apparatus can be readily and smoothly slid along a surface plate and lifted from position to position in gauging applications.

Thus it is seen that a gauging apparatus has been provided which is rugged and simple in construction and which provides a rapidly adjustable coarse positioning means and a basically simple and accurate fine adjustment means. The apparatus comprises a base and column of basically simple configuration and a carrier adapted for carrying work engaging devices which is slidable along the column and resiliently held in position. Clamping means are provided for positively fixing the apparatus components in their adjusted positions without disturbing previously adjusted relationships. The apparatus of this invention is stable in position and readily and smoothly moved from one position to the other along the surface plate for various gauging operations.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Gauging apparatus comprising in combination, a horizontally extending base having a fiat bottom for engagement with a supporting. surface such as a surface plate, a column fixed to and extending upwardly from said base, an adjustable carrier, said carrier having a pair of vertical parallel passages therethrough, one of said passages providing a bearing surface of substantial length through which said column extends slidably for supporting said carrier for vertical adjustment to desired positions along said column, an arm adapted for carrying a work engaging device, the second of said passages providing a bearing surface of substantial length through which said arm extends slidably for supporting said arm for vertical adjustment relative to said carrier, resilient means carried by said carrier extending between and engaging the ad jacent sides of said column and said arm, whereby said carrier is yieldably held in its adjusted position along said column, and manually adjustable clamping means inde pendent of said resilient means for engaging said column and said arm at the same sides respectively as said resilient means, whereby said carrier and said arm can be independently fixedly clamped in their adjusted positions without disturbing previously adjusted relationships between the column, carrier and arm.

2. Gauging apparatus comprising in combination, a horizontally extending base having a fiat bottom for engagement with a supporting surface such as a surface plate, a column fixed to and extending upwardly from said base, an adjustable carrier, said carrier having a pair of vertical parallel passages therethrough, one of said passages providing a bearing surface of substantial length through which said column extends with operating clearance for supporting said carrier for vertical sliding adjustments to desired positions along the said column, an arm adapted for carrying a work engaging device, the second of said passages providing a bearing surface of substantial length through which said arm extends with operating clearance for supporting said arm for vertical sliding adjustment relative to said carrier, a transverse passage in said carrier communicating between said parallel passages, contact means at each end of said transverse passage, resilient means interposed between said contact means urging said contact means into engagement with adjacent sides of the column and arm respectively whereby said carrier and arm are yieldably held in their adjusted relationships with respect to each other and with respect to said column, and manually adjustable clamping means carried by said carrier for engaging said column and said arm at the same side respectively as said contact means, whereby said carrier and said arm can be independently fixedly clamped in their adjusted positions without disturbing previously adjusted relationships between the column, carrier and arm.

3. Gauging apparatus comprising in combination, a horizontally extending base having a fiat bottom for engagement with a supporting surface such as a surface plate, a column fixed to and extending upwardly from said base, an adjustable carrier, said carrier having a pair of vertical parallel passages therethrough, one of said passages providing a bearing surface of substantial length through which said column extends with operating clearance for supporting said carrier for vertical sliding adjustment to desired positions along said column, an arm adapted for carrying a work engaging device, said arm having a longitudinal groove therealong, the second of said passages providing a bearing surface of substantial length through which said arm extends with operating clearance for supporting said arm for vertical sliding adjustment relative to said carrier, manually rotatable adjustment means cooperating between said carrier and said arm, a transverse passage in said carrier communicating between said parallel passages, contact means at each end of said transverse passage, resilient means interposed between said contact means urging said contact means into engagement with adjacent sides of said column and arm respectively, the contact means associated with said arm having a projection thereon seated in the longitudinal groove of said arm, whereby said carrier is yieldably held in adjusted position along said column and rotation of said arm relative to said carrier is prevented, and manually adjustable clamping means carried by said carrier for engaging said column and said arm at the same sides respectively as said contact means, whereby said carrier and said arm can be fixedly clamped in their adjusted positions without disturbing previously adjusted relationships between the column, carrier and arm.

4. Gauging apparatus for supporting work engaging devices above surface plates in dimension measurements comprising in combination, a base, a column carried from said base, an integral carrier having two parallel passages passing along its length and a transverse passage communicating therebetween, the column passing through one of the parallel passages whereby the carrier is supported for vertical sliding along said column to coarse vertical positions, an arm adapted for carrying a work engaging devic'e carried in the second of said parallel passages for sliding movement therealong relative to said carrier, the arm having a threaded portion along its length, internally threaded manually rotatable means engaging the threaded portion of said arm, means forming part of said carrier preventing axial improvement of the manually rotatable means relative to said carrier, whereby the arm can be finely adjusted to vertical positions relative to said carrier, a longitudinal groove along the length of said arm, a contact means carried in said transverse passage having a projection cooperating in said longitudinal groove at one end of said transverse passage, a contact means carried at the other end of said transverse passage engaging said column, and resilient means cooperating between said contact means urging them in opposite directions and into contact with the gauge carrying arm and the column respectively, whereby the carrier is supported in its coarse adjusted positions along said column by friction contact and the gauge carrying arm is prevented from rotating during rotation of the fine adjustment means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 515,236 Lavigne Feb. 20, 1894 2,338,001 La Vigne Dec. 28, 1943 2,467,499 Sachtleber Apr. 19, 1949 2,580,865 Wallen Jan. 1, 1952 2,597,030 Pistoles May 20, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 118,087 France Apr. 17, 1877 885,587 France May 31, 1943 588,560 Great Britain May 28, 1947 597,415 Great Britain Jan. 26, 1948 255,455 Switzerland Jan. 17, 1949 961,497 France Nov. 21, 1949 5 8 Ge y s- 1 .2 

